Shell·Oil & Gas·London, United Kingdom·Founded 1890·Last verified 31 May 2026
17
out of 100
Significant gapsPending Review-6 since last review

Shell maintains massive fossil fuel operations while claiming net-zero transition, relying on intensity targets, carbon offsets, and selective Scope 3 reporting to obscure continued expansion. Scope 1+2 reductions are largely portfolio-driven divestments. The company actively opposes climate policy through trade associations and uses phantom carbon credits to greenwash liquefied natural gas growth.

The calculation

Every score shows its working.

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Oil & Gas sector ceiling.
20 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
32 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 20) + (0.7 × 32) = 28.4
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.6
Final score
Rounded. Significant gaps.
17 / 100
The ten questions

Where Shell is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (6/10, 5/10). Weakest on Controversies & Red Flags and Targets & Commitments (1/10, 2/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

14 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

8 of 14 sources are third-party verified or public record.

[1]Self-reported
Shell Annual Report 2023 — Climate Metrics and Emissions
2023
Q1
View →
[2]Third-party verified
The Sustainable Innovation — Shell Sustainability Profile
Unknown
Q1Q3Q5Q7
View →
[3]Self-reported
Shell Annual Report 2023 — Scope 3 and Net Carbon Intensity
2023
Q2
View →
[4]Third-party verified
ClientEarth — The Greenwashing Files: Shell
Ongoing
Q2Q6Q10
View →
[5]Public record
ESG Today — Shell 2030 Emissions Reduction Goal
Unknown
Q3
View →
[6]Self-reported
Shell Sustainability Report 2022 — Greenhouse Gas Emissions
2022
Q4
View →
[7]Self-reported
Shell Energy — Renewable Power Products and Services
Unknown
Q4
View →
[8]Self-reported
Shell Sustainability Report 2023 — Biodiversity and Ecosystems
2023
Q5
View →
[9]Self-reported
Shell — Water Management and Impact
Unknown
Q6
View →
[10]Public record
Europa Wire — Shell 27th Annual Sustainability Report
2024
Q7
View →
[11]Public record
Impakter — Shell Abandons Net-Zero Standards
2025
Q8
View →
[12]Public record
Climate Change News — Shell Greenwashed Gas with Junk Chinese Carbon Credits
2024
Q8Q10
View →
[13]Third-party verified
LobbyMap — Royal Dutch Shell Lobbying Profile
Ongoing
Q9
View →
[14]Third-party verified
InfluenceMap — Shell Climate Scorecard and Lobbying Analysis
Ongoing
Q9Q10
View →

If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

Shell in context

Where Shell sits among oil & gas peers.

Among the 10 major oil & gas brands we've scored, Shell is tied =7th of 10, with 1 other.

=7/10
Shell's rank
18
Industry average
12
Industry low
23
Industry high
How this score has moved

Shell's score over time.

today

Score history begins 8 February 2026.

As Shell's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.

We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.

What's being contested

This score is not currently being contested.

Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.

No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.

About Shell

Shell is a multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in London, one of the world's largest energy producers. The company operates upstream oil and gas extraction, downstream refining and marketing, and petrochemicals divisions, with annual revenue exceeding $316 billion. Shell maintains operations across more than 70 countries and employs approximately 90,000 people.

Founded
1890
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Employees
98,000 (FY2024)
Annual revenue
~$284B
Company website ↗
Track Shell

We'll let you know when the score moves.

Email alerts when a rubric question is verified, a challenge is resolved, or the overall score changes.

THE SUNDAY RUNDOWN

Which companies moved this week, and why.

One email, every Sunday. Score changes, new research, the stories behind the numbers. Free.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.

HOW SINK STAYS INDEPENDENT

Readers and institutions support our work. Companies can pay to submit evidence we couldn't find. Neither type of payment changes a score.